Today and Tomorrow
by EarthandNadia
Summary: She wanted to run. Run far away from the demons that threatened to hurt the ones she loved. The prophecies seemed more real every day. The Doctor knew she was hiding from him, but why? Is it all a mask? As the final tests come into place, all will be revealed. With a fire-y redhead by their side, will the Time Lords see it through? What of Davros? Third in the Silent Star Series.
1. Time Crash: Connection

Hello one and all! Welcome to the third installment of the Silent Star Series, featuring Laila Kerrigan as my Time Lady OC. She is currently romantically involved with the Doctor in a process called SoulBinding and we have found out that she's on her 8th regeneration, and yet still is on her 8th. She is portrayed, still, by Mandy Moore.

We have yet to find out what the status of the SoulBinding is, but we'll be getting to that in this chapter actually. So hooray! More information.

Normally I would say you can or cannot read the last installments, for those new readers of the Series, but it's not really a choice. If you don't read them then you won't understand anything that's going on, who Laila is, her past, and her relationship with the Doctor, Rose, Martha, the Master, etc. They are all important in the making of this Series and it would be very much wise to follow my instruction…but if you don't then….I can't really stop you from reading forwards. But don't say I didn't warn you ;)

I wanted to tell you all, for those of you who know me and my works, that starting after the 10th Doctor's era, I will begin a new Doctor Who story. It will not involve a Time Lady, but then again it will…in a way ;)

S.S is for changes in scenarios.

* * *

Doctor Who: Today and Tomorrow

Time Crash

Chapter 1: Connection

* * *

The Doctor smiled softly down at Laila, who was curled up beside him on the jump seat, her head resting on his lap. He ran a hand through her brown locks, and then knitted his brow, a thought coming to mind. "Hey," he said. "I've been meaning to ask, but I kept forgetting with all that's been happening, but…um….how exactly do we know when these steps in the SoulBinding Process end? Even when they begin? We haven't talked about this at all..."

Laila lifted her head to sit straight and smiled at him. "Each step takes about a year to complete," she explained. "The Mental Bind ended when we kissed each other after the Torchwood incident," she pursed her lip. ""With each ending, a kiss upon thy lips is required, for it symbolizes the mark of a new beginning"."

He nodded slowly, processing her words. "So…when you…um…y-you er…" he stuttered, struggling to get out the words. He stared at the Time Lady, a blush making its way across his cheeks. He didn't know why, but whenever he kissed her, he felt warm, but when she just kissed him…half an hour ago…he felt like he was on fire. He could still feel himself tingling.

Laila tilted her head at the Doctor, narrowing her eyes as she eyed him for a moment, and then she pointed at him. "Thank you, I was wondering if I had done something wrong…since you hadn't commented on it yet," she smiled, chuckling when his blush seemed to intensify. "That's for all those other times…."

The Doctor blinked rapidly and then smiled, "Sorry, I just find it completely adorable when you pout…blush…smile…do I need to carry on?" his smile turned into a grin at the pink hue staining her face.

"That's…that's not fair," she frowned.

"See?" he pointed as she pouted. "Adorable," he pulled her closer to him. "During the Emotional Bind, since it's now over I assume, and we're on the Spiritual Bind, correct?" she nodded, confirming his thoughts. "How was that supposed to go? I couldn't really feel much from you."

"That's because I didn't want you to," she averted her eyes. "I didn't want you to know my inner turmoil, nevertheless feel it. That's what the Emotional Bind does. It reveals your fear, anger, and all those emotions."

"What about physical emotions? Pain comes to mind."

"No, you won't feel it if I'm in pain nor will I feel if you're in pain. However, if we are in pain, more than likely we're in distress, which can be felt if allowed. You can block any of the Bindings, even all, and it's not that hard to do it."

The Doctor knitted his brow, "Why didn't you….?"

"Because, to feel my distress, everything would come rushing at you at once Doctor," Laila murmured, but loud enough for him to hear. "As if I would want you to go through that."

He turned her face to look at him. "I would gladly do so if it meant taking another step to helping you," he said, completely serious, which shocked her. "As Love is patience, Love is also sacrifice. I give you my all, and I will use that to help you through this pain."

"Did you read that from a book?" she raised an eyebrow.

He pouted at that. "Apparently I can't be sweet without it coming from a book," he turned his head, mock-offended.

Laila tilted her head to look at him and he glanced out of his peripheral vision at her before quickly pecking her. He jumped up out of the seat, making his way over to the console. "Alright, it's time for Ire, we've been in space for far too long," he remarked, setting the coordinates and then pulled the hand brake.

The TARDIS jolted violently, knocking him and Laila to the ground. The Time Lords scrambled to their feet, holding onto the console as they spun out of control. Alarms blared around them. They rushed, to the best of their ability, to fiddle with a couple of controls on the console and looked around as things settled down.

"Stop it!" the Doctor reprimanded the box. "What was all that about, eh? Eh? What's your problem?"

Laila shook her head at him, frowning down at the console. "I feel a disturbance in time," she knitted her brow, turning her head when another man appeared around the other side of the console. He was sporting a cream-coloured frock coat, striped trousers, and plimsoll shoes.

"Right, just settle down now," he said to the TARDIS.

She watched as the Doctor and the mysterious man bump into each other, not seeming to see each other there, "Excuse me," the Doctor said.

"So sorry," the other man spoke. She kept her mouth closed and silently counted down when they would realize something was off. 5…4…3…2…

The Doctor and the man whipped around to face the other. "What?" the Doctor's eyes widened.

"What?" the man blinked rapidly.

"Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Laila smiled at him.

"I am the Doctor," he answered with a small smile of his own, causing the other Doctor to frown immediately. There was something about that smile…"What is your name?"

"Oh, she's um…she's my fiancée," the 10th Doctor intervened, tensed as he took hold of Laila's hand. She peered up at him in confusion. He glanced down at her, seeing her expression. _"Laila, I'd like you to meet my 5__th__ incarnation. I haven't met you yet, sadly, so I don't know your name or that you exist yet, again sadly."_

Laila nodded in understanding. "Hello," she reached out her other hand towards the 5th Doctor. "I'm Elaina, it's a pleasure to meet you Doctor."

"No, no, the pleasure is all mine," the 5th shook his head, reaching out to shake her hand. He nodded slightly to the 10th Doctor, whom was staring at their hands in disdain. "So, who are you?"

"No one of importance," the 10th Doctor said, looking at him when he let go of Laila's hand.

He furrowed his brow at the man's attitude. "Is there something wrong with you?" he questioned.

"Nothing in the slightest," was the response.

Laila glanced between the two Doctor's, who seemed to be upset with each other over something, completely befuddled. "Hey," she called to them and they looked at her. "Uh, shouldn't we be doing something about…" she motioned towards the chaos happening around them.

"Ah," the 5th Doctor nodded, "right. Thank you for reminding me. There's something wrong with my TARDIS…."

He turned towards the TARDIS console and the 10th Doctor chuckled, causing him to look back at him strangely. "Is there something funny?"

"Sorry," the 10th replied, "It's just not something you see every day, is it, the back of your own head. Mind you, I see why you wear a hat, hm, maybe you should keep that on."

Laila turned to face him and he just avoided her eyes. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn't help it. How could he when his previous self was…was basically _near_ flirting with her?! And what was with that smile?

He knew for a fact that when he was in his 5th that he never looked at anyone like that. None of his incarnations have ever looked at anyone like that. Hold on…

Jack said the file of them in Torchwood stated that they met on Gallifrey. It wasn't possible, he was _positive_ he'd never met Laila before Torchwood Manor. Then again…no, it wouldn't explain why his 5th self seemed the slightest bit interested in her…that way.

An alarm sounded, knocking him from his thoughts. He looked over at the 5th Doctor to see him watching Laila with a confused frown on his face for just a second, then his eyes snapped over at him. "That's an alert," he said. "Level five. Indicates temporal collision. It's like two TARDISes have merged, but there's definitely only one TARDIS present. Looks like two times zones at war in the heart of the TARDIS. That's a paradox. Could blow a hole in the space time continuum the size of…" he paused.

"The universe," Laila finished and he nodded.

"Yes, that's good, the size of the universe," he agreed. "Not undramatic like Belgium," he furrowed his brow as he peered between her and the 10th Doctor. "Who are you two? Not your names, but _who_ are you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the 10th Doctor raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help himself.

He eyed him for a moment and then a disgusted look appeared on his face. "Oh, you're a fan, aren't you?" he shook his head, turning to the console as it began beeping again.

"A fan?!" was the response. "I'm not just a fan, I'm you!"

"Okay, you're my biggest fan," he waved him off. "I can understand the jealousy. I go zooming around space and time saving planets, fighting monsters and being, well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvelous…" he took a quick glance at Laila, which caused the 10th Doctor to glare at him. "And naturally every now and then people notice me…start up their little groups. That LINDA lot…are you one of them? How did you get in here?" he brandished a finger at 10. "Can't have you lot knowing where I live."

"Jealous?" the 10th scoffed. "Of what? And again, I'm not a fan! I'm you!"

Laila intertwined their fingers, seeing him clearly growing upset. She wasn't really sure why, but she had a hunch.

The cloister bell rung and the trio glanced around for a moment. "The Cloister Bell," the 5th said and they all began working at the console. "In less than a minute we're going to detonate a black hole strong enough to swallow the entire universe!"

Laila paused, thoughtful. "Alright," she said, and set to work on the controls, moving around the Doctor's as she went.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, the 10th noticing he wasn't exactly raising his voice. "You'll blow up the TARDIS," she didn't reply but just smiled up at the Doctors before pulling a lever. The 10th and 5th Doctor's looked at the readings. "Supernova and black hole at the exact same instant,"

"Explosion cancels out implosion," the 10th added.

"Matter stays constant," Laila stated. "I do love technology. Created a similar mechanism, used the same process, except it was smaller….and much riskier."

"Brilliant," 10 smiled proudly at her.

"Genius," 5 quickly said, frowning as soon as the word escaped his mouth. That was peculiar…

Laila raised an eyebrow whilst the 10th Doctor just glared at him again.

"Hm," the 5th looked up, seeming to come out of his musings. "That's far too brilliant for a human. I've never met anyone who could fly the TARDIS like that."

"Sorry, mate, you still haven't," 10 grinned, wrapping Laila into a side hug. She shook her head at him.

"You didn't have time to work all that out," he blinked, "even I couldn't do it."

"Well, she manages to surprise me all the time," he simply said with a shrug. "I'm surprised I'm still surprised when she surprises me. Blimey, that was a mouthful. Imagine saying that three times fast."

The 5th Doctor's frown deepened as he walked closer to Laila, peering down at her. "Do I know you?" he questioned and she raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, I just feel a…."

An alarm sounded, cutting him off.

"Well, looks like we'll be separating," the 10th Doctor said with a shrug. "Sorry, time's up. Have a nice trip."

Laila hit him lightly in the stomach. "You're being rude again," she said and smiled at the 5th Doctor. "It was nice to meet you, Doctor," she reached over and picked his hat up the floor, handing it to him. He took it gingerly, staring at her with a slightly saddened look. "Don't worry, we'll meet again. Trust me."

He placed his hat on, tipping it to her. "To all the days to come then," he said with another small smile before he faded away.

She glanced at the Doctor out of the corner of her eye, seeing him pouting. "You really shouldn't be jealous of yourself," she said. "You all end up in the same place, don't you? Here, now, with me in the TARDIS?"

"Yes, but he doesn't have you yet," the Doctor remarked. "And I like being the only one to have you, even if they're me."

She opened her mouth to respond when a horn sounded and they were sent flying to the floor. They scrambled up to see a ship lodged in the TARDIS wall. "Uh…." she pointed.

"What?" the Doctor gapped, picking up a life preserver that said 'Titanic'. He looked at Laila and then at the ship. "What?"

S.S

Aw, the Doctor's jealous of himself, isn't that just cute? I hope you all like the changes I made to this episode. The explanation will come later, I promise. Though I do wonder why the 5th Doctor seemed to be interested in Laila, a bit suddenly, don't you think? But there's something missing…

I told you all this story would be fluffy ;)

We have Donna Noble coming up next and more questions to come. I'm so excited for the end, not just because I'm going to be starting my new Doctor Who Series, but because I'm just ready for Matt. He's not my favorite Doctor, but just the idea of being in his era makes me happy.

I hope I made the 5th Doctor in character, I'm not used to his character much, so just let me know how I did and if I need to fix anything, then tell me…

Four Reviews!

IAmRahaf: Yes, I know right! I'm ready for more fluff, we need it, Laila needs it…

Mionerocks: Thank you! I don't know about that, but I try my best to come up with good ideas for the story to make things more interesting.

JillyJillyFairfax: I can't wait to write it then ;) I know, it's been so long hasn't it? But she's finally told him that she loves him, now we just have to work on the rest of her situation. I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know, what is the Master hinting at?

.1806: Yep, now they both have said they loved each other.


	2. Voyage of the Damned: Together

Doctor Who: Today and Tomorrow

Voyage of the Damned

Chapter 2: Together

* * *

Laila and the Doctor continued to stare up at the bow of the Titanic, both gapping at the situation before them. "How?" Laila knitted her brow in confusion.

The Doctor looked at her then back at the ship before he whipped around towards the console, using various controls to close the TARDIS and push out the ship. He then materialized it within the Titanic. He and Laila took off towards the doors, stepping out find themselves in a supply closet. Closing the door behind them, they examined their surroundings.

They were standing inside a wood-paneled room decorated with potted palms and Christmas decorations. People were walking about sporting early 20th century dress mill as the waiters passed by with d'oeuvres and champagne. The band up front played a sedate version of "Jingle Bells". Laila turned her head towards a couple of two golden angels garbed in white. They tilted their heads back towards her and she frowned, averting her eyes.

She felt the Doctor take her hand as he wandered over towards a window, pulling her along to look out. "Riiiggghhhttt…" he nodded in understanding. He was a bit curious as to how they could've possibly knocked into the Titanic when they weren't anywhere near the ocean, or 1912. Now it all made sense, well…not all of it.

"Attention all passengers," a man called over the PA. "The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: Human," Laila's eyes flickered up to the Doctor, then down at Earth below them. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."

S.S

On the bridge, the crew was dressed in period uniforms and the equipment was a mix between period and futuristic. "Nice and steady," the Captain instructed. "Good work, Mr. Cavill. And maintain position. Now then, gentlemen, according to the traditions of the planet below, Christmas is a time of celebration," he glanced at all of them. "I think you might be entitled to a tot of rum. Just the one. Off you go," three crew members saluted with a 'Sir'. "I'll keep watch."

"Sir," Cavill saluted and left the room. The youngest member, Midshipman Frame, paused at the door before closing it to face the Captain.

"And you, what was it?" the Captain inquired.

"Midshipman Frame, sir," Frame reminded him. "Only just qualified, sir. First trip out."

"Then you can stand down, Midshipman."

"Uh, but, uh…regulations say the bridge has to be staffed by two crew members at any one time, sir."

The Captain nodded. "Well said," he replied. "Very good," Frame walked over to a bank of instruments. "It should be nice and quiet. It's only a Level 5 planet down below. They don't even know we're here. "Silent Night", I believe they call it. A silent night."

S.S

A video of a bald man with a thin moustache sitting behind a desk spoke from a recording displaying on the monitor. "Max Capricorn Cruiseliners…" he began, "the fastest, the farthest, the best. And I should know because my name is Max," he smiled and his gold tooth glinted in the light before the screen reverted back the cruise line logo.

The Doctor stood nearby, watching, now dressed in a dinner jacket as he fiddled with his tie. He heard the sound of soft heels and turned his head to see Laila emerge from the supply closet. His eyes travelled down her attire as she was currently robed in a one-strapped wine-red dress that somewhat hugged her sides. Her hair was down and she was wearing a pair of pearl earrings and….his eyes widened considerably at the familiar drop pearl necklace hanging from her collar.

"Y-you're wearing it," he noted softly as she smiled up at him.

"I have no reason _not_ to wear it," she told him. "I didn't accept it at first because you'd already done a lot for me," her eyes dropped down. "I hadn't done much to show my affections and I felt so guilty for that, and to have you offer this up, just another thing that I couldn't do at the moment…I couldn't stand to have it. I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings when I rejected it."

He stared at her for a moment then a loving smile morphed on his lips. He walked over to her, wrapping her in his arms, causing her to look up at him. "Well, you are beautiful with it and without it," he ran his hand over her cheek, love unblemished in his eyes. "Honestly, I thought you did a lot to show your affections just by staying with me. Especially after what the Master made you do," she raised an eyebrow. "It just seems like I'm only making things worst for you, Laila, but I'm so glad you haven't left. I've lost a lot, but you, I can't bear to lose you," his eyes led away from hers. "Why do you love me?" he looked back to see her eyebrow raised and he swallowed. "I-I was just curious is all. I know you told me why you told me you loved me, but I'm not sure why you do…Not that I'm not glad that you do! I'm ecstatic! I just…um…"

Laila chuckled, causing him to frown. She peered up at for a moment, tilting her head. "I love you," she began, "for no reason at all," he opened his mouth and she put her hand on it. "It's strange, I always thought you had to have a reason, but not with you. I'm afraid, I suppose, that if I have a reason to love you, I'll have a reason to leave you."

The Doctor's eyes widened once more and she pulled her hand from his mouth to find him gapping at her. She just bit her lip, not sure what he was exactly thinking of her words. Everything seemed to be jumbled in his mind. Suddenly, she found herself being pulled forwards as the Doctor kissed her softly, a smile on his lips. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, peering up at him when he pulled back, pressing his forehead to hers. "I really don't deserve you," he murmured.

"Hm," she took a step back and he frowned in confusion, blinking when she held out her hand. "Come on, let's go fix that, shall we?"

He smiled and took her hand, walking beside her as they headed into the reception area where a steward smiled at them as they passed by. "Merry Christmas, Sir, Ma'am."

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor responded.

"Merry Christmas," Laila smiled at him before they went their separate ways. She and the Doctor moved around the room, the Doctor staring at a couple of gents in disdain as they looked their way. She squeezed his hand, raising an eyebrow as they crossed paths with another man, Rickston Slade, whom was talking on his mobile.

"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone," he commented to someone on the other line. "Now do as I say and sell," he walked off and the Time Lords moved on to approach a robotic angel.

"Evening," the Doctor greeted. "Passenger 57. Terrible memory. Remind me. Uh, you would be…"

"Information: Heavenly Host supply tourist information," the Host stated.

"Good," he nodded quickly, thinking, "so, um…tell me…'cause I'm an idiot…"

"No you're not," Laila shook her head at him and he quickly smiled at her.

"…um…where are we from?" he continued.

"Information: the Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt," the Host said. "The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

"Primitive?" Laila raised an eyebrow. What was primitive about the humans, she wondered. It was like her grandfather once told her, every race was complex in its own way, and none were simple.

"Titanic," she heard the Doctor mumbled, bringing her out of her musings. "Um…who…thought of the name?"

"Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth," the Host informed.

"So, I'm guessing no one knows the history of the Titanic…" Laila said. "You know….the tragedy that happened on April 12-15th in 1912?"

"Information: all designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of Max...Max….Max…."

The Host continued to repeat the name, becoming higher and higher in pitch. "Ooh, bit of a glitch," the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket to pull out the sonic when a steward rush over, having seen the occurrence.

"Sir, Ma'am, we can handle this," the steward assured them, waving to others for assistance. The Doctor and Laila watched as they switched off the droid, taking it away. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, Sir, Ma'am. Merry Christmas," he turned and followed after the other stewards, whispering to himself. "That's another one down. What's going on with these things?"

Laila pursed her lips, lookin at the Doctor, who shrugged. "Come on," he wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked off, stopping to witness one of the waitresses, Astrid Peth, drop her tray of drinks, the glass shattering upon impact, after bumping into Rickston.

"For Tov's sake," Rickston groaned, glowering down at her, "look where you're going! This jacket's a genuine Earth antique."

The Time Lords frowned at him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Astrid apologized, getting down to pick up the broken glass.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart," he retorted. "Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the man, turning to look at Laila, to find her missing. He turned in a circle, searching for her, only to find her kneeled down on the ground next to Astrid, helping her pick up the glass. He walked over to them, bending down to help as well. "Careful. There we go."

"Thank you, Sir, Ma'am," Astrid said. "I can manage."

"We never said you couldn't," he smiled. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, and over there is my beautiful love, Laila."

Laila felt her cheeks burn and dipped her head, hiding her face behind her locks as she heard the Doctor chuckle from his spot.

"Astrid, Sir, Ma'am," Astrid introduced. "Astrid Peth."

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth," the Doctor said at the same time Laila said. "Pleasure to meet you," and then both uttered the words in unison. "Merry Christmas."

She glanced between the two, surprise obvious on her face. "Merry Christmas, Sir, Ma'am."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Laila shook her head. "You can just call us Doctor and Laila."

She nodded. "Are you both enjoying the cruise?" she asked.

"Of course," the Doctor replied, sending a soft look in Laila's direction, "I'm next to her, aren't I?"

Laila closed her eyes, putting her head down with a smile.

Astrid looked between the two, with a small sad smile. She'd never once seen someone look at anyone like that, in a way that words can't describe it. "Sorry," she interrupted and they looked at each other, "I assume you're both together?"

"Yes," Laila confirmed. "Why?"

"I don't know…It's just that I can't seem to pin point exactly how he just looked at you," she said. "Sorry, again, um…"

"It's fine," the Doctor reassured her. "Sometimes I can't describe how I feel when it comes to her either," Laila smiled up at him. "There are words, but there is not _a_ word," he closed his own eyes before opening and turning his gaze to Astrid. "So, what about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto."

"Doesn't feel that different," Astrid told them. "I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here…and I'm still waiting on tables," she walked off leaving the Time Lords to follow after her.

"Have you been to Earth yet?" Laila asked, looking down out the window at the planet below.

"We're not allowed," she sighed, clearing a table by the window. "They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamt of…It sounds daft."

"No," she shook her head, "it doesn't. I once too dreamed of seeing other planets, wondering what it was like to disappear under another sky, to see things I've never been able to see. Earth was my first. Since I met the Doctor, I've seen even more, and I don't regret a thing."

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean her head on his chest.

Astrid smiled at them. "So…you both travel a lot?" she wondered.

"All the time," the Time Lord nodded. "Just for fun, though…that never seems to work out the way I plan. Sometimes we do have fun, you know," he swallowed, "taking a break from it all."

She knitted her brow at his words, befuddled. "Must be rich, though," she said.

"Haven't got a penny," he revealed, surprising her as he whispered. "Stowaways."

"Kidding," she gapped.

"Seriously," Laila said.

"No!" she shook her head.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said.

"How did you get on board?"

"Accident. We've got this, sort of, ship thing. We were about to head off to Ire just to take one of those breaks I mentioned. I must've left the defenses down 'cause next thing you know, we run smack dab into the Titanic. So, here we are. Bit of a party, and I do love seeing Laila in a dress," Laila shook her head at him, "she rarely dresses up, so I thought "It'll be good"."

"I should report you," Astrid eyed the couple.

"Go on then," the Doctor said with a knowing smile.

"I'll get you a drink…" she said in a whisper, "on the house."

She walked away and passed by a group of first-class passengers who were laughing and pointing at a heavyset couple, Morvin and Foon Van Hoff, dressed in purple country-western outfits as they sat an ate. Laila shook her head at them. What was with these people? Had they no manners?

"Just ignore them," Morvin told Foon as the Doctor and Laila moved to sit at their table.

"Something's tickled them," the Doctor said, unamused as Laila was.

"They told us it was fancy dress," Foon said. "Very funny, I'm sure."

"They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid," Morvin rolled his eyes. "We won our tickets in a competition."

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in "By the Light of the Asteroid"," she revealed. "Did you ever watch…?"

"Is that the one with the twins?" the Doctor asked.

"That's it," she nodded. "Oh, it's marvelous."

"Probably not good for that lot," Morvin motioned towards the laughing crowd. "They think we should be in steerage."

The Doctor furrowed his brow, frowning at Laila turned her head away from the crowd, a troubled look on her face. "Well, that simply won't do," he said, pulling out the sonic and aiming it behind him. The champagne on the table popped its cork, spraying all over those at the table. Shouts and screams emitted afterwards.

Laila peered up at the Doctor, who squeezed her hand in return. He meant it, anyone who upset her was not a friend in his book. She needed a break, a new beginning, and NOT a reminder of the past.

"Did…did you do that?" Foon questioned, bringing their attention to her.

"Maybe," he shrugged with a small smile, putting the sonic away.

"We like you," she smiled.

"We do," Morvin nodded, reaching out to shake the Doctor's free hand. "I'm Morvin van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon."

The Doctor shook Foon's hand as well. "Foon," he nodded. "Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is my other half, Laila."

Laila waved at the two. "Hello," she said softly, causing the Doctor to frown. She was rather confident earlier, which sent shivers down his spine, but now she seemed to have reverted back into her shell. He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.

"_What's wrong? Tell me."_

Laila glanced at him. _"Nothing, I was just thinking about how some people never learn."_

"_Well, I know the perfect person to teach them."_

The Time Lady leaned her head onto his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. _"I don't know about that, but…thank you."_

"_Always."_

S.S

So much fluff! Again, I told you there would be some! Haha. The next chapter won't really contain as much as this one, but there will still be some throughout this episode and Season…we'll just have to see how much, won't we? Enjoy it and savor it while it lasts ;)

Like with Martha, I decided to fix Astrid's attraction to the Doctor early, but also like Martha, she's the type that won't go after another woman's man. Unlike Amy, River, and Rose….that's not a hint towards anything, or maybe it is, but still they are those types. Well, Amy is until she figures out that Rory is the one for her and that she needed to stop chasing after the Doctor, though she kinda of still did…given she told him he could kiss her on her and Rory's wedding day :/

Two reviews!

Loveless150050: Of course, what else would I do with my life? Please disregard what I just said…

IAmRahaf: And the fluff is here! Enjoy it and savor it while it lasts. So much feels indeed ;)


	3. Voyage of the Damned: Silent

Doctor Who: Today and Tomorrow

Voyage of the Damned

Chapter 3: Silent

* * *

Laila's eyes were glued on the angel droids standing behind her as they answered a couple of passenger's questions. She pursed her lips in thought before she turned her head, glancing at the Doctor as he stared at her with a buffalo wing in his mouth. She shook her head at him.

"Attention please," the man over the PA called. "Shore leave tickets 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7."

Foon took out her ticket, nodding. "Red 6-7," she said. "That's us," she and Morvin stood to their feet, looking at the Doctor and Laila. "Are you Red 6-7?"

"Might as well be," the Doctor shrugged as he and Laila stood straight. "Though I really did want to head off to Ire soon. There's supposed to be a light show, aura-based, that only comes around every 1,000 years or so. Today is the only day you can see it," he smiled over at Laila, about to throw another compliment in her direction, when he noticed she was staring off to the side. He followed her gaze to see nothing there. "Laila?"

Laila blinked rapidly, turning her head to face him. "Huh?" she frowned. "Are we leaving now?"

He knitted his brow at her absent-mindedness. "We're going down to Earth," he said. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, looking away from him. "Yeah," she told him. "Fine. It sounds like fun, Earth that is."

The Doctor looked over at Morvin and Foon, who shrugged. "Come on," Morvin spoke, putting his arm around Foon. "We're going to Earth."

The quartet walked over to an older man, Mr. Copper, whom was holding up a red sign bearing "6-7". "Red 6-7," he called. "Red 6-7. This way, fast as you can."

Astrid approached the Doctor and Laila as they stood amongst the waiting group. "I got you those drinks," she said.

"And we got you a treat," the Doctor smiled. "Come on," he took the tray away from her and set it on a table.

"Red 6-7 departing shortly," Mr. Copper announced.

He held up the psychic paper, "Red 6-7 plus two."

"Uh, quickly, sir," he ushered him, "and please take three teleport bracelets if you would."

They each took a bracelet, slipping it on with ease.

"I'll get the sack," Astrid whispered to the Time Lords.

"New world, new sky, probably be worth it," Laila nodded to her.

"To repeat," Mr. Copper began, earning their attention, "I am Mr. Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now human being worshipped the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws," Laila and the Doctor shared a look, "and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner…like savages."

Laila covered her mouth, not sure how to address his words, and the Doctor just opened and closed his mouth for a moment before he was able to respond. "Excuse me," he said and they all looked at him, "sorry, sorry, but, um…where did you get all this from?"

"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics," Mr. Copper replied. "Now stand by…."

"Earthonomics?" Laila raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who could only shake his head.

"And me!" a high pitched voice called out, belonging to a small red-skinned alien with short spikes along his head. "And me! Red 6-7!"

"Well, take a bracelet, sir," Mr. Copper said, handing one to him.

"Uh," the Doctor frowned at the red alien creature, "but, um, hold on, hold on. What was your name?"

"Bannakaffalatta?"

"Ok, Bannakaffalatta," he said. "But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late-night shopping, tons of people," he glanced at the others. "He's like a walking conker," back to him. "No offence, but you'll cause a riot 'cause the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties…" he was cut off as they were teleported down to Earth in the middle of an empty street. "Oh."

Laila examined the area around them, befuddled, albeit worried. "That's odd," she remarked, "usually people are flooding the streets during this time of the year."

"So, where are they?" the Doctor frowned.

"Now, spending money…." Mr. Copper continued. "I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets or, uh, stockings or the local delicacy, which is known as "beef" but don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing."

The Time Lords carried on peering around in confusion as Astrid stood nearby with awe-filled eyes. "It's beautiful," she smiled.

"Really?' the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand…

"But it's a different planet," she cut in. "I'm standing on a different planet. Th-there's concrete…and shops, alien shops, real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks!" she gasped. "This is amazing! Thank you," she hugged him tightly, taking no notice to when he tensed considerably.

"Um, yeah…" he patted her back awkwardly, turning to see Laila missing from the spot she was previously. "Laila?"

"Over here!" he looked to see her standing by a news booth. He let out a small sigh of relief when Astrid let go of him, and he started walking at a slightly fast pace towards Laila. It wasn't that he didn't mind her hugging him, it was rather he didn't really know her. It all tied back to Laila. He didn't want to engage with someone who would hurt her, plain and simple. He didn't know Astrid, though she appeared rather kind so far, still, looks are deceiving.

It was like with Martha, of course he knew she had a slight crush on him at the beginning, the reason why he found it a bit hard to trust her. Since he knew he was connected to Laila, he was more aware of other women's affections, though he didn't know exactly why. Eventually, the more he got to know Martha and the more she spent time around Laila, he began to see that she wasn't one of those types…the type of person who would try and take Laila's place in his life, or even full out show their affection, not with the intent of being with him, but just to make her uncomfortable.

Shaking his head of his thoughts, he smiled over at the elder man, Wilf, behind the booth. "Hello there!" he greeted. "Sorry about that, uh, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?"

"Oh-ho, scared!" Wilf answered.

"Oh," Laila nodded, understanding. She may not have been on Earth for a lot of Christmas's, but given by the accounts the Doctor told her about, Christmas wasn't exactly a liked holiday on Earth any longer…not since they quickly became a common place for aliens to show their colours.

"Oh?" the Doctor looked at her.

"It's Christmas," she simply said. "Nearly every Christmas behind us, something horrible has happened, and normally it's centered here I believe. People died, nearly died, and so forth. I can't blame them for leaving."

"Right," Wilf nodded, confirming her answer. "And this year, Lord knows what. So everybody's scarpered, gone to the country. All except me…and Her Majesty," he stood proudly and looked at the TV.

"Her Majesty the Queen has confirmed that she will be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive nation," a reporter stated, "to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear."

"God bless her!" he grinned and saluted. "We stand vigil."

"Well, between you and me," the Doctor said, "I think her Majesty's got it right. Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about," he smiled down at Laila, telling her a silent promise. He would make sure things went right this year for them both, but especially her.

"Hm," was all she responded with before they all were teleported back to the ship, leaving Wilf standing there, his mouth agape.

"Then again…" he muttered, falling back into his seat.

S.S

"I'm sorry about this folk," Mr. Copper said as soon as they materialized. "A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets…"

They all handed over their teleports in slight confusion, wondering what the issue was.

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta," the Chief Steward said as he walked over to them, "we seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to, return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided."

Astrid turned to the Doctor and Laila, a wide smile on her face. "That was the best, the best!" she said and then walked off back to her duties, leaving the Time Lords staring at the Chief Steward.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" the Doctor questioned. Laila's eyes travelled over to where the Host were, and frowned upon meeting their gaze.

S.S

The Van Hoffs were eating at their table as the Chief Steward eyed the Host warily, Rickston was winning at roulette, Bannakaffalatta was dancing and Astrid smiled at the Doctor and Laila while serving drinks. All the while, the band played. The Doctor's eyes were glued on Laila for a moment, as she fumbled with her hands, mumbling something incoherent underneath her breath. She'd been doing that since they came back from their short Earth tour, which wasn't really a tour, since they didn't get to see much but an empty street.

She seemed troubled by something, something he didn't know, which worried him. He tried asking her through their Mind Bind, but she wasn't responding. It was almost as if she couldn't hear him, given she nearly always answered before, unless something happened like in New New York and what with the Master.

And here he thought they were getting off to a great start.

Frowning deeply, he sighed and turned his attention to a nearby frame screen showing a video look of Max Capricorn, "…and I should know because my name is Max," he said. He slipped on his glasses and took out the sonic, flashing it over the screen. "The fastest, the furthest, the best…my name is Max."

Opening the frame, he fiddled around with a couple of the settings until the screen showed the Titanic and her immediate surroundings. His eyes widened at the offline setting for the shields and quickly peered out the window to see meteors approaching.

S.S

A communications whistle sounded on the bridge. "Is that the bridge?" the Doctor's voice emitted over the comms. "I need to talk to the captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in West 0 by North 2."

"Who is this?" the Captain narrowed his eyes.

S.S

"Never mind that!" the Doctor shook his head, his eyes flickering towards Laila as she walked up to him, also noticing the meteoroids. "Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and now shielding!"

"You have no authorization," the Captain replied. "You will clear the comms at once."

The Time Lord gritted his teeth in frustration. "Yeah?" he retorted. "Just look starboard!"

Two stewards approached him and Laila, taking hold of their arms to escort them out of reception. "Come with me, sir, ma'am," the Chief said.

S.S

"But he's right, sir," Frame stated as he looked over the settings from the bridge. "The shields have been taken offline," he moved over to an instrument panel.

"Step away from there," the Captain ordered.

"But we have to re-energize them," he argued.

"I said step away, Midshipman."

Frame looked up to see the Captain holding a gun on him.

S.S

The Doctor and Laila were led away through reception, the Doctor still arguing. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!" he shouted, earning a couple of looks from the passengers.

Laila pursed her lips as they passed by the Host, who stared at them as they did.

S.S

"They promised me old man," the Captain muttered, but loudly enough for Frame to hear him.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Frame frowned in confusion.

"On the crew," he wretchedly explained. "Sea dogs, men who'd had their time. Not boys."

S.S

In the Reception, the Doctor broke away from the Stewards and ran to the stage where the band was playing, taking hold of the mike. "Everyone, listen to me!" he called. "This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb-"

A host covered the Doctor's mouth and pulled him away. Laila watched with widened eyes along with Astrid, the Van Hoffs and Bannakaffalatta. "I thought so," the Time Lady muttered thoughtfully.

S.S

"I'm sorry, sir," Frame cried. "It's my duty!" he reached for the panel and the Captain fired.

S.S

The Doctor was taken out of the room more forcibly than Laila, who was calm despite the commotion. They passed by a small gathering, one of which was Rickston. "Look out the windows!" the Doctor warned them.

Astrid, Rickston and the Van Hoffs slowly moved towards the windows. Bannakaffalatta excused himself from a conversation. "Him, her, friend," he said, motioning towards the Time Lords.

Rickston looked out the window to see meteoroids. The Stewards were now dragging the Doctor out, but Laila was still being led as she was still the calmer of them both. "If you don't believe me," the Time Lord shouted, "check the shields yourself!"

"Sir, I can vouch for them!" Astrid stated.

"Look, Steward, he's just had a bit too much to drink," Morvin tried to reason with them. "And she's done nothing to cause disruption."

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong," Mr. Copper pointed out. "All the teleports are down."

"Not now!" the Chief Steward responded, irate.

A small piece of rock broke through the window and landed at Rickston fee. "Oxygen membrane holding," the computer announced. "Oxygen membrane holding."

Rickston faced a Host. "You there," he began. "Has anyone checked the external shielding?"

"Information: you are all going to die," the Host simply said.

He nodded and addressed a nearby steward. "Where's the Chief Steward?" he questioned.

"That way, sir," the steward pointed and he hurriedly made his way in the directed direction.

S.S

The Chief Steward took the Doctor and Laila through the maintenance corridors. Astrid, Mr. Copper, Bannakaffalatta and the Van Hoffs followed quickly behind. Laila shook her head. They were all in danger, but yet no one was doing anything to make sure they were actually safe. It was all rather suspicious.

"The shields are down," the Doctor continued to try and warn them, "we are going to get hit!"

She glanced at him and he stared at her in concern. She just smiled in return, letting him know it was all right.

"_I never could understand how you could be so calm in these situations," _she heard him say in her mind.

"_Well, we've been through worse and I've been through worse, this is Level 1 to their Level 10 or something like that," _she shrugged.

"_Once again, being with me has put you in danger."_

"_Well, I'd rather be in danger with you, than to be safe and alone without."_

The Doctor smiled softly at her and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of air.

S.S

"You're going to kill us," Frame managed to get out, despite the bloody hole in his side.

"I'm dying already," the Captain countered. "Six months. And they offered me so much money…for my family."

S.S

Rickston finally caught up to the others. "Oi!" he shouted. "Steward! I'm telling you the shields are down!"

"Listen to him!" the Doctor nodded in relief, thankful someone else knew. "Listen to him!"

S.S

"Max Capricorn," Max stated.

A woman watched the meteoroids from a window, entertained. "Darling, come and have a look at this," she called to her husband.

"Fastest…" he carried on.

S.S

The Captain stood at the wheel as an alarm went off in the room.

"Red Alert," the computer warned. "Red Alert."

S.S

"Cheers," the woman's husband clinked a glass with her.

S.S

Three meteoroids headed straight for the ship.

S.S

"The furthest…" Max smiled.

S.S

Frame lay on the floor, whimpering at the oncoming danger.

S.S

"The best."

S.S

The meteoroids struck the side of the ship and everyone throughout the ship was thrown to the floor. On Deck 31, the Chief Engineer called for help. "Bert! Bert!" he cried, looking up at the Host as it stared down at him. "Help me! Help!"

A beam fell on top of him.

S.S

The Doctor covered Laila as they were thrown to the floor. Laila held onto him, looking around at everyone as they cowered, trying to protect themselves. After a minute, the Doctor slowly stood to his feet, taking hold of her hand to pull her up. "It's stopping…" he said, shushing everyone.

Laila glanced at Astrid. "Are you okay?" she questioned, holding out her hand to help her up.

"I think so," Astrid nodded, checking over herself.

"Bad name for a ship," the Doctor remarked. "Either that or this suit is really unlucky."

"It's not your suit," Laila told him. "How could your suit cause the shields to go offline and why wasn't someone working on it? You'd think if something like this was going to happen, someone would've taken the time to tell the passengers or at least attempt to fix the problem…which would've been extremely easy given how this ship is apparently modeled."

"Are you saying someone did this on purpose?" Rickston questioned.

She shrugged. "More than likely," she said. "Then again, it could've just been bad mechanics on the construction part. I've read about mighty spaceships falling apart due to bad modelling, or mistakes in their systems. If it was sabotage, I wouldn't be surprised either which way."

"My name is Max," the screen repeated like a broken record. "My name is Max. My name is Max."

"Ev-everyone…" the Chief Steward said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, I must apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision."

The Doctor found a comm. panel, the source of Capricorn's voice.

"Small?" Morvin scoffed, indignant.

"You know how much I paid for my ticket?" Rickston narrowed his eyes.

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen…" the Chief Steward tried to calm them, but they ignored his words and continued to argue.

Laila eyed the group and shook her head. "Hey," she called, not too loudly, but loud enough for them to stop. "At least we're all still alive. If those meteoroids had been bigger, they could've easily slammed through this entire ship, and given where we are…we'd probably all be dead right now, and I doubt any one of us wants that."

The Doctor smiled up at her at that with a slight nod in her direction when she looked at him. She just averted her eyes, holding a troubled look upon her face.

Astrid kneeled down next to Mr. Copper. "Are you all right?" she asked, helping to dab the cut on his head. Laila and the Doctor walked over to the others.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship," the Chief Steward commented. "If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the…the situation," he moved over to open a hatch.

"Don't open it!" the Doctor said too late as the hatch opened and he was sucked out into space by the vacuum. Everyone grabbed hold of any piping near them. Laila pursed her lips before she made her way over to the comms.

"Laila!" the Doctor reached for her to try and stop her, knitting his brow when he saw she wasn't being sucked out of the ship. They all watched as she typed something in on the computers and stabilized the oxygen shield. The Doctor rushed over to her, pulling her towards him in a rather tight hug. "You've really gotta stop doing that."

"Sorry," Laila mumbled, pulling away from him. "Luckily, ever since the Kroptor incident, I've taken to wearing specially made shoes," she revealed her red heels. "That shields me from space vacuums…it's a rather complicated explanation and I don't believe we have time to talk about it right now," she turned head towards the others.

He examined her face for a moment, befuddled. One moment she was troubled, the next she was happy. It was confusing, but he'd ask about it later, once he got her safely back to the TARDIS. "Foon? Morvin? Mr. Copper? Bannakaffalatta? Astrid? Are you all alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded, panting a bit.

"Yes," Bannakaffalatta assured.

"You," the Doctor pointed towards Rickston. "What was your name?"

"Ah," Rickston introduced. "Rickston Slade."

"Are you okay?" Laila inquired.

"No thanks to that idiot," he remarked and she raised an eyebrow.

"The steward just died," Astrid frowned at him.

"Then he's a dead idiot," he simply said with a shrug. Laila and the Doctor shook their heads lightly at him. There was always that one person, wasn't there?

Astrid gasped and took a step towards him.

"All right, calm down," the Doctor intervened. "Just stay still, all of you. Hold on."

He walked over to the hatch opening with Laila as they both peered down into the open space. "I think you were right," the Doctor said to the Time Lady. "I don't think it was an accident."

Astrid looked out into space with them, seeing bodies among the flotsam and jetsam floating above Earth. "How many dead?" she asked.

"We're alive," he said, "just focus on that. I will get us out of here, Astrid, Laila. I promise," he smiled down at Laila, who was staring off at the bodies. He turned her face away from them, not wanting her to look any longer. "I do promise."

"I know," she said.

He kissed her lightly on the nose and faced the others. "If we can get to reception, we've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board…." he felt a tug on his sleeve and looked at Laila to see her pointing off into space. "Oh."

"What is it?" Astrid frowned. "What's wrong?"

"That's our spaceship over there," he gestured towards where the TARDIS was floating.

"That's a spaceship?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Oi!" he mock-glared at her, "don't knock it."

"It's a bit small."

"Just wait until you see the inside," Laila said. "But, due to it being set adrift without a pilot, it'll lock onto the nearest planet, which is Earth in this case."

S.S

The Chief engineer grunted as he struggled to try and get out from under the beam. "Don't just stand there!" he screamed at the Host. "Get this thing off me! Host, that's an order. Help me! That's your job, isn't it?"

The Host stepped forwards. "Information: we now have only one function," the Host said.

"And what's that?" he questioned.

"Information: to kill and keep them alive," it said and reached up to remove the halo above its head.

"What are you doing?" his eyes widened in shock. "I'm ordering you…Stop it. Stop it right now!"

The Host threw the halo like a Frisbee towards the trapped engineer, who screamed.

S.S

Alright, that's a good place to end it. I wonder what's up with the Host, and not the normal deal, no, the new deal with Laila as it seems. Hm, and speaking of the Time Lady, I wonder what's wrong with her. One moment she's troubled, the next she's happy…appears to be really distracted in this Chapter.

I debated on whether or not to have the Chief Steward die or not, but I decided to let him die because there's no real reason for me to keep him alive.

Two reviews!

Loveless150050: Thank you and I hope you liked this chapter. I said it would have less fluff than the last one.

IAmRahaf: I like Astrid too, but of course she can't travel with them. It would mess up the timeline a bit with Donna and all…however, we'll have to see what I do with her, don't we? It's all wibbly-wobbly.


End file.
